Bright Eyes
by mmooch
Summary: **Part of the 'R.I.P. Buffy Summers' series** When Buffy dies, strangers' eulogies enlighten the Scoobies as to how far her influence has spread.
1. Chapter 1: Giles' Eulogy

**Bright Eyes**

Summary: When Buffy dies, strangers' eulogies enlighten the Scoobies as to how far her influence has spread.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Timeline: post-season 5; after _'The Gift'_. Some AU-ness in Buffy's past, mostly in her summer after killing Angel.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song: youtube .com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c. Turned out to be much longer than I expected.

A/N: I couldn't find the name of the make out spot from _'Phases'_, so I used the old standby 'Lookout Point'. These chapters will be short, but I wanted each person/group to be separate.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**Chapter 1: Giles' Eulogy**

**Buffy's memorial service**

**The weekend after her death…**

It took almost a week to schedule the memorial service for Buffy Summers: friend, sister, protector of the innocent. Originally, Giles had considered trying to keep her death secret, since the only other Slayer alive was currently in prison. Telling the supernatural world that Buffy was dead would be like putting up a neon sign over Sunnydale that said the all-you-can-eat buffet was open.

That plan was halted before they could even get Buffy's still-warm body home. The cops were called to the tower on a public disturbance call and saw the dead blonde in Giles and Spike's arms. So she was officially declared dead, a cursory autopsy was performed – which stated the obvious cause of death was massive internal damage due to a fall from a great height – and her body was sent to the morgue.

Dawn insisted on only two things: a specific song to be played at the beginning and end of her sister's memorial service, and for Buffy to be cremated. She needed to remove the temptation of bringing her sister back like she tried with her mom just months before. Giles silently applauded the teen for the idea; his Slayer was at peace now and deserved to stay there.

Angel's group had been notified by Willow and Tara the night following Buffy's death. Nobody could get ahold of Hank; his office finally admitted that he had disappeared awhile back and hadn't been heard from since.

Even though they didn't think it would make a difference in attendance, the Scoobies posted a public notice of the memorial service. Without a body, there was no reason to have a visitiation. Dawn was in shock from basically been all alone in the world now, family-wise, and they didn't want to force her to listen to the well-meaning, but painful, murmurs of sympathy of strangers.

So it stunned them when they showed up at Lookout Point and found over a hundred people waiting for the memorial service to begin. The Scoobies only planned for them and the Fang Gang to be there, so they didn't have chairs or a sound system set up. Fortunately, somebody else thought of those things and more. They even had a small tent set up for those individuals who didn't want to be seen or risk the sun. That meant they knew Buffy was friends with non-humans…something that concerned the core group a little.

When the crowd saw them, it was if somebody muted a TV set: absolute silence – apart from the sounds of nature around the area. Because the Sunnydale crew was still too broken up, Wes took charge, setting up the boombox with Dawn's song near a microphone at the front of the gathering.

_Is it a kind of a dream  
Floating out on the tide  
Following the river of death downstream  
Oh is it a dream?_

_There's a fog along the horizon  
A strange glow in the sky  
And nobody seems to know where it goes  
And what does it mean?  
Oh, is it a dream?_

_Chorus:_

_Bright eyes, burning like fire  
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?  
How can the light that burned so brightly,  
Suddenly burn so pale?  
Bright eyes_

…

* * *

As the last chorus faded away, Giles stood to deliver his eulogy; one he had to alter because it wasn't just people who knew that Buffy was the Slayer.

"I first met Buffy Summers about 4 ½ years ago, on her first day at Sunnydale High. She bounced into the library where I worked, looking for her textbooks. Over time, we grew to be friends. We had our good times together and our bad times. Times when we hurt each other, and times when we helped each other heal."

He stopped to clear his throat from the growing lump forming there, desperately blinking back his tears.

"I hadn't listened to this song until today. I only knew that it was a family song from Buffy and Dawn's childhood. However, I find that the lyrics seem especially appropriate. Most of my heart and mind cannot believe that she is truly gone. At the same time, it feels like somebody has dimmed the sun. The world feels darker and colder without her shining smile."

Then he broke down crying, unable to continue and mortified at his show of emotion. Wes rushed to his side and invited anyone else who'd like to say a few words to come up and speak.

* * *

A/N: Next…a surprise speaker.


	2. Chapter 2: Stein's Surprise

**Chapter 2: Stein's Surprise**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube .com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: Yeah, he might be OOC and a little crazy to admit this stuff in front of strangers.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

* * *

To everyone's surprise, the first to move was a group of cops in full dress uniform. When they reached the front, one of the men stepped to the mic.

"I assume that everyone here knows just _how_ special Miss Summers was." He waited for the murmurs of affirmation, then continued, "Let me introduce myself then…I'm Detective Paul Stein of the Sunnydale police, and the first time I met Miss Summers was to question her about the death of her mother's boyfriend. After it was shown to be self-defense, it made me wonder how many other times she acted in self-defense to save people.

"A few discreet inquires later, I had my answer: too many to count. It was then that I and the officers behind me decided to help her however we could – without attracting certain people within the city government – like making sure that one of us would question her and do the paperwork to clear her if she was ever accused of a crime.

"What we consider to be our best moments were returning a piece of equipment to the base after making sure that there wasn't evidence to tie its disappearance back to her or those with her. The other incident was convincing the state and federal investigators that it was simply a gas leak that caused the high school to explode on graduation day.

"I regret never telling Miss Summers how much we appreciated _everything_ she and the others did, but my nephew said her classmates did what we adults couldn't at the time with her class protector award. The world will miss Buffy Summers, even if it doesn't know why."

A sharp command from behind him drew the officers to attention, and as one, they saluted Buffy's urn.

* * *

A/N: Next…Leverage people.


	3. Chapter 3: Leverage

**Chapter 3: Leverage**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: Because there was more than one speaker, I sectioned each one to make it clear who they were. Sorry, Sophie fans, couldn't figure out how to write a meeting between her and Buffy.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. Leverage characters belong to John Rogers, Chris Downey and TNT. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

* * *

**

Nate

It didn't take long for the next speaker to stand up since he was already at the front of the gathering.

"I'm Nate Ford, and it's been about four years since Buffy saved my life. It was just after my son died. I had gotten completely drunk and passed out on the bench in a park in LA," he started with a sad look in his eyes.

"She was out walking and found me there. I don't know why she decided to help me when there were other people passed out in that part of town, but she woke me up and tried to get me to move, saying that I'd get killed if I stayed there. I just screamed at her that I wanted to die so I could be with my son again.

"Something in her snapped at my answer and she knocked me out with a single punch. Then she called a cab to take me back to her dad's place until I sobered up. That took until the next day.

"We talked for hours. She said that she had just died a few weeks earlier for a few minutes. And she also told me that if she hadn't survived and any of her loved ones did what I did, she'd have found a way to haunt them so she could smack them upside the head." He grinned a little at the memory of her threat.

"It took me awhile, but eventually I found something to give my life purpose again. While the pain of Sam's death – my son – hasn't diminished, I know that he would want to wait to see me again. So thanks for the kick in the behind, Buffy."

**

* * *

**

Hardison

Immediately, a black guy from the middle of the crowd got up and hugged Nate awkwardly. Then he moved to the microphone. "I'm Hardison. Both Buffy and Nate are my friends, but I didn't know they knew each other before he got up to talk."

"She saved my geeky ass last year when I was lured into a trap. Damn, that girl could fight! I was like watching Xena – except for she looked more like Gabrielle. After she rescued me, she gave me the lowdown on how to survive the nightlife. I've never forgotten the tips she gave me.

"Enjoy your peace, Buffy…I don't know anyone who deserves it more," he said, looking skyward.

**

* * *

**

Eliot

Angel was startled when he saw the next guy face the crowd from his seat. The ensouled vampire wasn't the only one shocked to see a familiar face in Sunnydale at Buffy's memorial. But then the guy started to speak, and Angel relaxed, letting the rest of his team know with a shake of his head that it wasn't Lindsey MacDonald speaking – although they would have realized it with the guy's words.

"A couple years ago, I was hired to rescue a man's daughter. She had been taken by some men who were human traffickers, specializing in blonde girls with blue or green eyes.

"As you've probably figured out, Buffy was there when I busted into the room. She was tied up and about to be beaten by the leader for talking back. When she saw I was fighting her 'captors', she broke her restraints.

"Hardison was right, Sweetheart could kick ass…better than anyone I've ever met, and that's saying something," he recalled fondly, not realizing that he let anything slip with his nickname for Buffy.

"Afterwards, she stayed with me and the girls until we got them back to safety. She could see in their eyes that they felt better with her around.

"I wasn't complaining 'cause that gave us a chance to get to know each other better. Turned out that she got captured on purpose so she could save the girls, one of whom was an old classmate from her Hemery days. I'm sure gonna miss her fiery attitude."

He moved to the front to gaze at her photo before joining Nate and Hardison.

**

* * *

**

Parker

A blond woman stood up next. It was clear from her awkward speech patterns that she wasn't used to talking in front of crowds. "Since my friends…" she gestured to the previous speakers, "have already talked about Buffy, I guess I should too."

"We didn't meet because she was rescuing anyone. I saw her working in a crappy diner like three years ago. The customers kept pinching and grabbing her while her boss was constantly yelling at her for one thing or another. And she just took it, not fighting back at all.

"Normally I don't care about other people, but she looked so beaten down… I don't know, maybe she used mind control on me or something. I just knew that I needed to help her.

"I waited until she was done for the day, then dragged her to one of those fancy coffee shops. I'm not sure why she went with me, except maybe she didn't care what happened to her anymore. There was a glimpse of a smile as she sipped her mocha, but it disappeared right away.

"I asked her if she really wanted to be at that crappy diner, and she just shrugged, saying she didn't have anything better. I offered to teach her some…less legal ways of getting things to survive; things I learned when I was younger than her. But she refused, saying that while she may not be a very good hero, she couldn't really see being a bad guy. She did accept some money…" Parker was interrupted by three shocked gasps from her teammates, "…from me though, so she could try starting over in a new city, farther away from her old home. Before she left, she promised to keep in touch wherever she ended up; even managed to pay me back with interest by the end of the summer."

* * *

A/N: Next…CSI Miami.


	4. Chapter 4: CSI Miami

**Chapter 4: CSI Miami**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: AerynSpeedleCaine specifically asked for these guys to be in the story. There's one other guy she wanted; he'll be coming up later.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. CSI: Miami characters belong to Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

* * *

**

Horatio and Speed

A redheaded guy and a scruffy one walked up to the front. They seemed to struggle over which one should speak, but finally the redhead started talking, "I'm Detective Horatio Caine and this is CSI Timothy Speedle. When we met Buffy, she had just been grabbed as a hostage by this pedophile we'd been chasing a few years back.

"Normally, I have to try to calm down the hostages while getting the criminal to let them go, but when I looked at Buffy, she was rolling her eyes at her captor's threats, even going so far as to mimic saying them with him. Then I was worried she was in on it with him somehow, even though she appeared to be grabbed at random. In fact, one of my other CSIs, Calleigh Duquesne, was almost grabbed instead; Buffy just happened to be a little closer to him."

Horatio nodded to Speed when the other man indicated he wanted to take over the explanation. "Then he shouted at us to back up or he'd kill the 'little girl'. Well, I can see that you understand his mistake. Needless to say, he's one pedophile that won't be physically capable of raping children for a long time. Plus, I'm guessing that he's too scared she'll come back and finish the job like she threatened to as we took him into custody," Speed said with a grin.

"Before she left, she handed us a pamphlet that she put together, explaining the things she normally fights," Horatio added. "Then suggested that if we ever needed her special kind of help, to give her a call. Thankfully, the information she gave us was enough to head off some potential situations that came up later. Whether she believed it of herself or not, that young lady was a true hero, in every sense of the word."

* * *

A/N: Next…A family member from The Big Bang Theory.


	5. Chapter 5: The Big Bang Theory

**Chapter 5: The Big Bang Theory**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. TBBT characters belong to Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and CBS. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

* * *

**

Penny

A blonde girl took the microphone and began, "I'm Penny, and my story's a little different than the others. I've known Buffy for all of our lives 'cause we're cousins. I remember the Christmas vacations when they'd come to Nebraska, and we'd go out to the rink to skate. She swore that someday she'd be as good as Dorothy Hamill.

"Guess it isn't surprising that real life would change her plans. First with meeting her valley girl friends, trading her skates in for pompoms, then hanging those up when- umm, things changed again.

"I know that the last few years have her life have been tough, but in most of her letters, she was happier than you'd expect for somebody in her situation. When Aunt Joyce died, that was one of the few times she actually sounded defeated. I guess it was because she couldn't stop it, no matter how good she was at what she did.

"Even though I'm sad she's gone, I'm happy that she's with her mom again. Love ya, cuz!" she called to the skies with tears streaming down her cheeks.

* * *

A/N: Next…Lie to Me.


	6. Chapter 6: Lie to Me

**Chapter 6: Lie to Me**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: Please no reviews about Angelus' kill count; it isn't relevant from Cal's POV.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. Lie to Me characters belong to Samuel Baum, Imagine Entertainment and Fox Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

* * *

**

Cal Lightman

As Penny left the stage, a short – for guys anyway – man raced up there, obviously agitated by something. "Alright then, Buffy Summers was the Slayer and fought demons and vampires!" he declared with a strong British accent, watching their reactions. "See! There's startlement that I'd admit that aloud, a little anger – whether at me for announcing it or just in general at Buffy being dead, I'm not sure – but I don't see any shock at _what_ I said."

"So rather than trying to censor ourselves about the things we learned, let's just be honest. I'm Cal Lightman, and Buffy saved me from some vamps. When I asked her what happened, she tried to feed me some crap about gangs on PCP or tricks of light. Finally, she told me the truth…about everything.

"She explained how her life was turned upside down by becoming the Slayer, but until a few weeks earlier, she thought it was for the best overall. And this was including the fact that it already killed her once. When she started whining about all the people she wasn't able to save, I told her to shut it. She wasn't God, so she should stop acting like everyone's lives depended solely on her.

"Then I asked her how many people she thought she'd saved over the years, and she just shrugged, guessing a hundred or so – which I'm betting was a vast underestimation. I said she should remember those people, not the much smaller number of people she _didn't_ save.

"When we went our separate ways, she wasn't exactly happy or anything, but she didn't look crushed by guilt either. The fact that there's this many people from all over the country mourning her death just proves I was right about her. Oh, and glad you saved me, Buffy," he tacked on, almost as an afterthought before jumping from the stage.

* * *

A/N: Next…Law & Order: Criminal Intent.


	7. Chapter 7: Oz

**Chapter 7: Oz**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: Since Cmiller gave me my 4700th review on TtH – and part of me wanted Oz to come back anyway – this one's for her.

Thanks to my beta: none for this one 'cause it was last minute.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Stand By Me'_ sung by Ben E. King and written by him, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=Vbg7YoXiKn0

**

* * *

**

Oz

Having stayed out of sight until now, a very short – even shorter than Cal Lightman – guy with red hair made his way to the stage, holding a bass guitar. Those that had seen him play before would have been surprised at this fact, seeing as how he normally played a regular guitar. Those that knew him, however, were still trying to deal with the shock of seeing him in Sunnydale again.

"Hey," he greeted the crowd, plugging the bass into the amp. "I'm Oz, and I'm not really one for words, so thought I'd sing for Buffy instead."

The opening notes were recognized by every single person in the crowd, and the more emotional ones among them began sniffling immediately. In contrast to the low tones of the bass, Oz's voice was a clear, smooth tenor.

_When the night has come  
And the land is dark  
And the moon is the only light we'll see  
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid  
Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

_And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me  
Stand by me, stand by me_

…

_Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me  
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me_

_Darlin', darlin', stand by me-e, stand by me  
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me _

Without putting his instrument down, Oz said a few last words before leaving the stage, "You couldn't be afraid if Buffy was standing by you. She was…Buffy." Despite the obviousness of the statement, everyone in the crowd understood what he meant by it.

* * *

A/N: I know half this chapter was lyrics, but it's Oz…what can you do?

A/N2: Next…now it will be L&O: CI.


	8. Chapter 8: L&O Criminal Intent

**Chapter 8: L&O Criminal Intent**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: I'm trying to make most of these speakers' dealings with Buffy non-supernatural, just to show that being the Slayer wasn't her only strength – although it helped considerably.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. L&O: Criminal Intent characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

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**

Bobby Goren

"I guess Buffy was making quite the summer trip that year. Other than telling me about vampires and other stuff so I could keep from ending up as some demon's dinner, her stop in New York was mostly of a non-supernatural variety.

"My mom was in the hospital for surgery, and I was late to visit her because of a case I was working on. I expected to get there and find her screaming at the staff. See, she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and it's hard to keep her calm most of the time. But when I arrived, she was playing cribbage with Buffy like they were old friends.

"The nurses told me that when Buffy first got there, my mom was behaving just like I thought she would: screaming, cursing and throwing things. Buffy just caught the items my mom hurled at her and didn't try to stop the yelling. Eventually, she calmed down, and Buffy asked if she wanted company until I could get there.

"Apparently, she understood that my mom hated hospitals, and even knew the reason why. It had something to do with a demon called Der Kindestod that preyed on sick kids in hospitals. Knowing that the demon was dead helped calm my mom down considerably. It didn't change her diagnosis or anything, but it's made any subsequent hospital visits much easier to deal with.

"I know she helped people as the Slayer, but I want to thank Buffy, the _person_, for what she did. Thanks, Buffy."

* * *

A/N: Next…another surprise visitor.


	9. Chapter 9: BtVS, the Movie

**Chapter 9: BtVS, the Movie**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: doesn't follow all the canon from the movies/show/books.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

* * *

**

Pike

Dawn thought she recognized the biker guy who started talking next. A flash of realization hit her when he said his name, "I'm Pike. I was the first guy to fall in love with Buffy after she became the Slayer, but I doubt I was the last. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she got some bad guys to change sides; that's the kind of girl she was. It wasn't a Slayer thing…it was a Buffy thing," he proclaimed with a smirk, knowing there was at least one vamp in the crowd who cared about the late Slayer.

"We hated each other with a fiery passion when we saw each other for the first time. I was a slacker and she was one of those rich bitches that looked down on anyone not part of their circle. Then Merrick saved my life, and when we saw each other again… well, it still wasn't love at second sight, but it was better.

"I think the real turning point for us was when Merrick was killed. The guy was a bit creepy, but he loved her a lot. Not the same way as me, but she won him over as a brother/father/uncle/whatever-figure. She needed somebody to count on, who knew her secret, to help her deal with her guilt. And to remind her what Merrick wanted from her.

"She paid back my friendship with taking the fall for the gym fire, knowing that I'd get thrown in jail, where she'd probably get a slap on the wrist 'cause of her parents. Even though we drifted apart after she left LA, I never forgot her. She helped turn a slacker who would have been dead by now – from drinking or whatever – into a guy with a mission in life. I'll never be one of those preppy guys she dated when we met, but I will always try to be a guy she'd be proud to love."

* * *

A/N: Next…Supernatural. (C'mon, like anyone's really surprised to have a cross with them?)


	10. Chapter 10: Supernatural

**Chapter 10: Supernatural**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: Just to clarify for anyone confused; not all of these people met Buffy during her summer after Acathla.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. Supernatural characters belong to Eric Kripke and The CW. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

* * *

**

Bobby Singer

A rough, lumberjack-looking fellow made his way to the microphone and began his story, "I had heard rumors about the Slayer over the years, but just considered it sort of an urban legend among hunters. In any case, I never expected one to show up at my junkyard. Even if I had, Buffy wasn't what I would have pictured. She looked like she should be in gymnastics or something; not chasing after demons.

"Then there was the way she had Rumsfeld chasing after her like a puppy. That dog doesn't like people much; hell, sometimes I wonder if he'd like _me_ if I wasn't the one who fed him. But it went a long way to getting me to trust her. Still made her drink a glass of holy water, though.

"Then she told me why she showed up. Said she had a dream about this demon who was causing a lot of trouble for folks – especially a family that I was friends with. It already killed the mother 20 years ago, and was about to go after the youngest son's girlfriend. After Mary died, the dad started hunting demons, looking for the one that killed his wife. The boys grew up to be hunters themselves…at least until the younger one decided that he wanted more in his life than just death and lies.

"Her dream said that if she didn't get this bastard, it would take the family a few years to beat it, and there would be a bunch of bad stuff that happened in between. Some of the bad stuff would lead to The Apocalypse…the one involving the angels fighting. She could stop it all from happening, but she needed me there to witness it so my friend would believe that the demon was finally dead.

"Even with the things I heard about her, I still doubted that she could beat a demon like the one after my friend's family. Then she pulled out this blessed sword made by some warrior monks and a piece of parchment that had a summoning ritual to bring the demon straight to us. The sword was special in that it could kill any demon short of Lucifer himself, but once it was used, it wasn't any different than a regular sword. And going back to get another one would be impossible because only those people led by dreams could find the doorway to the monks' temple, and as soon as they passed through the door, it wouldn't appear in that spot again.

"She told me that she had a couple more stops to make before going home, but if I ever needed her help, to look her up in Sunnydale. I never got the chance to tell her that because of her actions, Sam went on to marry his girlfriend, and she just had a baby girl named Mary Anne. Mary for Sam's mother, and Anne for the Slayer that saved the baby's mother. She'll be remembered as long as that baby lives. I imagine that other people will remember her as well, for all the good she's accomplished in her too short life."

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A/N: Next…another familiar face from BtVS/AtS.


	11. Chapter 11: Anne

**Chapter 11: Anne**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

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Lily/Anne

"I guess I met Buffy at the end of her cross-country trip to help people," a blonde woman said after she took the microphone from the previous speaker. "A few of you know me, but for those that don't, my name is Anne. When I met Buffy, though, she was using that name and I was using Lily. Actually, the first time we met was here in Sunnydale, but that's not really important.

"Buffy was working at a crappy diner – maybe even the same one she worked at before she left LA – when my boyfriend, Ricky went in for some he went missing, and I asked her for help. We looked around and found out that he was taken to a hell dimension where homeless kids were being used as slave labor until they were too old to work, then they were brought back to LA and dumped on the streets to die.

"She followed me into the building where the portal was and dove in to save me. She did, too, in more ways than one. After we escaped, rescuing a bunch of the slaves with us, it sparked something in me that I had been searching for. Helping others became important to me in that moment.

"Once she was ready to return to Sunnydale, Buffy gave me her job at the diner, her apartment, and her name so I could start over…again. I'll never forget that she saved my life and my spirit. I'll always be proud to be called Anne."

Buffy's friends and family were stunned at how little they knew about Buffy's 'missing summer'. Other than a few cursory questions when she returned, they never asked her again about it. They were left with the thought that maybe they should have tried harder to find out. Still, they were proud that she still managed to help people all over the country while she was healing from her own pain.

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A/N: Next…I'm trying to work on that chapter, but not sure how it will turn out. It's from the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan'verse.


	12. Chapter 12: Tom Clancy

**Chapter 12: Tom Clancy**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: I had to futz with the Ryan'verse timeline to make this work(*). Please forgive me for that. This is set before the events in Sum of All Fears. His story takes place the summer after season 1.

Thanks to my beta: Boris Yeltsin from fanfiction. net. It's appropriate he's the beta, since this chapter was at his request.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. Jack Ryan'verse characters belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

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**

Jack Ryan

It was a little shocking when the next speaker moved forward. For some, it was the obvious bodyguards who went with him; for others, it was because they recognized _who_ he was. One of his guards – a young Hispanic man – stood slightly behind him at an angle to keep track of dangers from three lines of attack. The other man – a non-descript Caucasian – served as a buffer between the crowd and the speaker, angling himself the opposite direction of his partner. Apparently they weren't willing to take any chances with the guy's safety.

A gasp went up from several people in the audience when he introduced himself, "I'm Jack Ryan, and based on that reaction, I suppose a lot of you know that I was just promoted to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence at the CIA. However, I wasn't even with the Agency when I met the young lady we're honoring today.

"My encounter with Miss Summers came at one of the most terrifying moments of my life. She kept it from being the most tragic as well. For those of you who don't know my personal history, about 4 years ago(*), my wife and daughter were almost killed by IRA terrorists in retaliation for my having killed the brother of one of their top members when they tried to kidnap the Prince and his family.

"Buffy was among the first people who stopped to help my family. She was in town with her father for a business meeting and 'just happened' to be in the right place at the right time. Without any regard for keeping her secret, she pried off the doors and anything pinning them in place, which saved rescue workers valuable minutes when they arrived."

He choked back a sob before continuing, "If she hadn't been there, my wife and certainly my baby girl would have died on their way to the hospital.

"Out of respect for her wishes, it was reported that the rescue personnel cut them out. When I talked to her, I asked what I could give her as thanks; _anything_ within my power and it was hers. Granted, at the time I was just an instructor at the Naval Academy, but I had a few connections.

"She said all she wanted from me was to do what came naturally to me, and never to bow under pressure. She said that one day, I'd save the world because of who I was. She had seen it in her dreams, and knowing _that_ was thanks enough for her.

"I highly doubt I've done it yet, but I will keep my promise to her…no matter how long it takes. It's the least I can do for a hero like Buffy Anne Summers."

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A/N: Next…The Fang Gang.


	13. Chapter 13: Fang Gang

**Chapter 13: Fang Gang**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: got the translation from http:/translation. conveythis. com/Irish/to-English/.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

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**

Cordy

Knowing that it was getting to be the time to wrap the service up, Cordy stood to start the inner circle's comments about Slaygal. "Buffy and I had kind of a love/hate relationship; we loved to hate each other. Still, I hope that she knew she could count on me…when it came to world saving stuff. I know that when it came right down to it, I trusted her to do what was necessary to save the world. So while I didn't say it to her face, thanks for being the Slayer, Buffy."

**

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Wes

"It wasn't until after Buffy quit the Council, and they fired me for 'allowing' it to happen, that I realized she had done me a tremendous favor. The man I was when I first came to Sunnydale was a poncy git, all full of pompous attitude and very little substance. I arrogantly believed that because the Council backed me, it would carry some weight with her."

He chuckled at a memory. "I recall when I tried to order her to do something for the first time, she replied with a cheeky, _'When Giles asks me to do something, he says please. And afterwards, I get a cookie!'_ Now, I never found out if the cookie part was true, but I did realize that attempting to force her to do something she didn't believe was right was next to impossible – and often the wrong course of action to try.

"She made me question much of what I had been taught growing up, and for that, I give her my greatest thanks."

**

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**

Angel

"My life changed the day I first saw Buffy. I was told that she was the new Slayer and would need help until she was used to her abilities. Until then, I'd been wallowing in the alleys, re-living all the evil things I did in my past. Still, the Powers were trusting me to help their Champion, and I knew that I couldn't fail her.

"So I got cleaned up, found her in Sunnydale, and tried to help while remaining distant from her. That worked for only a couple of months, though. Her personality was magnetic and before long, I didn't want to fight it anymore. And even though we caused each other a lot of pain – mostly me hurting her – I'll love her forever for giving me a reason to do more than simply exist; she gave my life purpose. Chuid eile go maith, a ghrá (Rest well, my love)," he whispered.

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A/N: Next…The Scoobies.


	14. Chapter 14: Scoobies

**Chapter 14: Scoobies**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: You may want a hanky for this. I sniffled a little when writing it. Maybe that was just a cold, though. *grin*

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

**

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**

Willow

"I still remember the first day Buffy showed up at Sunnydale High. She had the chance to be friends with the popular crowd, but chose to befriend a geek like me. I know that she claimed it was just that she needed help with her schoolwork, but she could have gotten help without risking her social status.

"Yeah, some bad stuff happened over the years, but we got a glimpse of what our lives would have been like if she never came to Sunnydale, and believe me, we are _all_ happy she came. I bet even the Mayor wouldn't have like what became of Sunnydale without her around. Not that he was exactly happy-" she cut herself off before going into a tangent that didn't need to be shared at the moment.

"Anyway, she was a great Slayer and an even greater friend," Willow managed to choke out quickly before she was overcome with tears.

**

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Xander

"When I saw Buffy for the first time, I was knocked on my ass…literally. Then later that day, she knocked my world off its axis, figuratively. I learned about vampires by accident when I overheard her and Giles talking in the library. Nothing was the same from then on.

"There were tragedies, starting with Jesse, but there were also triumphs, my favorite being us stopping the mayor from eating the town. The whole class pitched in on that one.

"On the personal side, like Willow said before, Buffy chose to be friends with me and Will, even though she had the opportunity to be part of the Cordettes. She helped me go from class clown to…. well, I pretty much stayed the funny guy, but at least I got to help save the world every now and then. Thanks, Buffster, for looking past the surface and seeing what was hidden beneath my goofy exterior."

**

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Spike

"The Summers women are a force of nature…all of them. From their fierce protectiveness for their loved ones to their inability to harm a helpless creature. Joyce was the first one to see me as more than just an evil thing; the talks and cocoa with her had more to do with me helping the Slayer than anything else.

"Niblet was the next one to like me. Whether it was because her sister didn't or because I was nothing like Captain Card- er, the Slayer's boyfriend, I'm not sure…maybe both. She became the little sis I never had. Even if the Slayer hadn't asked me to watch out for the 'Bit, I still would have. I still will…until the end of the world or the end of my existence," he vowed, looking straight at Dawn, who nodded gratefully.

"Finally, there was Buffy. From the first time I saw her, I knew that she had more spark than any Slayer I'd met before. I tried for over two years to kill the her. You know, bag my third Slayer. She foiled me time after time. Hell, we even worked together more than once to save the world from being sucked into hell. We went from being mortal enemies to reluctant allies to just before this last thing, where she called me a good man. She's a bit of alright, she is."

**

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Tara

"I just wanted to thank Buffy again for welcoming me into her group of friends. When my family showed up to take me back against my will, she said they could have me…if they got through her. And this was after I put them in danger by trying to hide what I thought I was. I had hoped that Willow would stick up for me, but having Buffy and Dawn stand between me and the people I grew up with was more than I ever dreamed of hoping for."

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**Anya**

"I think my favorite memory of Buffy has to be when the Council came to evaluate her and see if she was worthy of the information they had on our latest enemy – not that it was really all that useful overall. When they were about to announce their findings about all of us, she interrupted, reminding them that they were supposed to work for her, not the other way around. Even threw a sword into the wall next to one of their heads when he tried to say something. I bet he had nightmares for weeks after that," Anya recalled fondly.

She was about to step down, but had a sudden thought she wanted to share. "Oh, and I'm glad she never tried to steal my Xander!" Another pause, and Anya added hesitantly, "But I find myself missing her enough to say that she could have him if it brought her back. Or money…I could give her money! That'd be better than Xander 'cause I could always make more money and there's only one Xander… Unless we could get that staff the Toth had, but then-"

Xander, who had raced to the stage as soon as Anya mentioned him, cut her off by pulling her away from the microphone. When she protested, he whispered something to her and she nodded her agreement. "You were a good Slayer and a good friend, Buffy," Anya finished.

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A/N: Anya was literally a last second addition. I was just about to post, but Musie insisted that people would want to hear from her.

A/N2: Next… Now that everyone's sufficiently feeling weepy, we have Dawn.


	15. Chapter 15: Dawn

**Chapter 15: Dawn**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: I know that Mike Batt wrote the song, but for the sake of the story, I'm saying he didn't.

Thanks to my betas: none for this chapter 'cause it took too long to work out.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes' _song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

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Dawn

Despite everyone knowing Buffy was the Slayer, Dawn wasn't about to share her own supernatural origins with complete strangers – even though they were all saying such nice things about her sister…or especially since they were saying nice things about Buffy. They might not be happy about her dying for a sister that technically didn't exist a year ago.

"I'm Dawn…Buffy's sister. Umm, I was a surprise to her; she probably thought she'd be an only child." There was an ironic statement. Dawn fought back the thought that Buffy would have been better off without her. Buffy said – with both words and actions – that she loved Dawn, and thinking she shouldn't have existed would be like completely dismissing Buffy's love and sacrifice.

"But she was more than just a big sister to me. When our mom died a couple months ago, Buffy became my mom-figure as well. I can't imagine how freaked out she must have been to go from a sister who gets to complain about how bratty their little sister is, to guardian of that same person. And I probably didn't make it any easier on her either. I basically was punishing her for Mom dying – even though she couldn't have done anything to stop it. Hopefully she knows that I didn't actually blame her or anything.

"Like Giles mentioned earlier, the song_ 'Bright Eyes'_ has special meaning to us. Our grandfather wrote it after our uncle died in Vietnam. It wasn't until we heard it at our cousin, Celia's, funeral that we found out it had been recorded by Art Garfunkel and was pretty popular in other countries. I'm kinda surprised Giles hadn't heard of it before today 'cause it did great in the UK." She leaned over to start the song, lowering the volume so she didn't have to raise her voice.

"But anyway, even though it was kind of a funeral song for our family, it was really soothing for me and Buffy. Whenever we got upset about something, or our parents were fighting, we'd snuggle together and listen to this song on repeat until we calmed down. We never felt closer as sisters than those times.

"When Mom was in the hospital, Buffy surprised me by pulling me into Mom's room; we curled up on her bed and fell asleep listening to the song over and over again. It just seemed right to say goodbye to her with this song," Dawn finished, letting the song end her eulogy.

…

_Is it a kind of a shadow  
Reaching into the night  
Wandering over the hills unseen  
Oh is it a dream?_

_There's a high wind in the trees  
A cold sound in the air  
And nobody ever knows where you go  
And where do you start?  
Oh into the dark_

_Chorus (2x):_

_Bright eyes, burning like fire  
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?  
How can the light that burned so brightly,  
Suddenly burn so pale?  
Bright eyes_

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A/N: Next…last person to speak – from NCIS.


	16. Chapter 16: NCIS

**Chapter 16: NCIS**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: b-day prezzie for AerynSpeedleCaine who wanted a fic using this song. http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v=mh7S2aIHF7c.

A/N: This wasn't last minute, I planned for Abby to go after Dawn.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. _'Bright Eyes'_ song written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.

_**

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**_

**Abby Sciuto**

When the song finished, a girl that was eerily similar in dress to Drusilla went to the front: in an all-black cape which completely covered her outfit with gloves that went up her arms, holding a black lace parasol.

"I know I should have talked before, when everyone else was saying what they wanted to say about Buffy, but what I had to say needed to be said when the service was over because that's when it would make the most sense," she babbled at nearly Willow-speed.

"Oh, I'm Abby Sciuto, by the way. A few years ago, a co-worker and good friend of mine was killed by a terrorist who was trying to make another co-worker and friend go crazy or something, but I guess that's not important right now. Anyway, I was in a serious funk about Kate; wouldn't even drink Caf-Pow because she used to tease me about it and now she wouldn't do that again and it just felt wrong to drink it when she couldn't give me a hard time.

"Everyone thinks that I'm pre-occupied with death because I dress in all black and sleep in a coffin…again, maybe more than you needed to know for this. Umm, so Buffy found me, sitting in front of the Vietnam Memorial Wall, just studying the names and wondering if we could do the same thing at NCIS.

"It was the weirdest thing; she just said that Kate loved me like a sister. The fact she even knew who I was thinking about should have made me feel suspicious, but all I could do was ask her how she knew. She told me that Kate visited her in a dream the night before to ask a favor. The guys were hurting too, but they'd deal in their own way. Kate was worried about me. To prove that Kate really had spoken to her, Buffy relayed some private stuff that nobody else knew except the two of us.

"Finally, after I cried and screamed and everything in between – which was kinda what Kate was waiting for me to do – Buffy passed along one last request from her. She understood that I needed to mourn, but then Kate wanted me to celebrate her life. Buffy said the same thing; that when she died, she wanted her loved ones to cry for a while, then cheer that her fight was over.

"So to honor her the best way I know, I'd like to give Buffy a traditional New Orleans jazz send-off, just like I did for Kate," Abby declared, opening her cape to reveal a cherry red peasant blouse with a flirty white skirt. The knee-high buckle and chain boots seemed a tad out of place, but somehow Abby was able to look comfortable in them.

Then she pulled out an MP3 player that must have had great speakers because everyone could hear the upbeat jazz music bouncing off the trees. They watched in bemusement for a few seconds as the odd woman began dancing away from the memorial site. Dawn was the first one to move to join her, which caused the rest of the crowd to shrug and start dancing too.

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A/N: I wanted to end the story on a cheery note, and thought Abby would be the best way of accomplishing that.

A/N2: A reviewer suggested, and a real life friend poked Musie with a similar idea, to have a chapter with Buffy's reaction to watching her memorial service. Since it's so different from the rest of the story, I'm leaning towards making it a sequel/companion piece instead of an epilogue chapter. I'll mark the story as complete now; that way, if I decide to tack on the Buffy chapter it's no big deal, and if I post it as a sequel, then you'll be prepared for it. Sorry for the babble.


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